Hurricane
by Missus Carlikins
Summary: When Cross suddenly announces that Allen's going to a public high school he isn't sure what's going to happen. Safe to say he definitely didn't expect to fall in love with a surly Japanese, although it definitely didn't start as love. But he's haunted by his unknown past and falling in love might be more dangerous than he realized. [Yullen; High School AU]


**A/N:** Hey, bet most of you don't think so fondly of me. Sorry for the sucky updates. I recently got a job and seem to have no time to write, and then the time I do have to write I spend doing other stuff.

I know I should be writing Dragon Heart, but I love AUs so much and I was craving high school and so I wrote this. Don't hold your breath for a chapter two any time soon.

This chapter is mainly backstory so you guys can get familiar with universe. I figured I should write a real fic and not just that little one-shot of mine, and so this was born.

**Things to know: **Allen's face isn't scarred yet and Lavi doesn't have an eyepatch. BUT THESE WILL HAPPEN, just later in the fic.

I know I should edit this before uploading because there are going to be mistakes, but it's late at night in my mind and I'm tired and if I don't upload this now I'm never going to upload it. So here it is in all it's original glory.

* * *

Allen stared at the school and if it weren't for Lenalee holding his arm he probably would've turned and run, not that he was a coward. He wasn't.

"It'll be okay Allen," she promised, smiling at him. He gave her a shaky smile in return and took a deep breath.

It was just school, not like Allen hadn't faced worse before.

Lenalee squeezed his hand in reassurance. "You'll do great." He nodded and she waited a moment longer before leading him into the school.

xXx

Allen didn't have much memory of his life before Mana. He couldn't remember what his parents looked like, didn't even know if he'd had parents. All he knew was that one day there was nothing and the next there was Mana. He'd been eight when Mana had found him sneaking into his house. Allen had tried to run away but Mana's dog had stopped him with a low growl. Mana hadn't hit him or threatened to call the cops, just threw a blanket over his shoulders and fed him dinner. Then when Allen fell asleep, Mana had let him sleep in the bed. Allen had woken up terrified, but Mana had been there to calm him. After that Allen had started sticking to Mana like a lost duck. A few months later Mana adopted him and Allen had officially become a Walker.

For three years they'd lived together as a family. They were the happiest years of Allen's life, but then it all shattered.

It was a car accident. Mana had just been running to the store for some milk and someone had decided to go out driving after having one too many to drink. Allen had known the minute Mana had died, he'd felt the hole tearing itself in his heart.

_It was a painless death_, they had said. _He died on impact._

After his death Allen had been placed in an orphanage. He'd been numb and uncaring, and the kids had decided to make a game out of seeing who could make him react, but it seemed like nothing they did got to him. Some went with violence, hitting and scratching at him. Some tried the caring approach, talking to him and trying to get him to open up. No matter what they did he just sat and stared at the fire. The flames would flicker and dance, filling his silence with crackles.

Then one day one of the kids had pushed him and he'd stumbled back, tripping over a loose shoe. He'd thrown his arms out to catch him instinctively and one went into the fire.

He'd screamed, unable to hold it in. Flames licked up his arm and burned his clothes and he could do nothing but scream and watch as his skin seemed to sizzle. The kid who pushed him started shouting and someone must've run off to get one of the workers because soon Allen was being pulled out of the fire and rushed to a car. The rest of the night was a blur to him now, just memories of pain and then nothing.

He remembered waking out of his haze to hear the doctor talking to someone. Their voices were hushed, but loud enough that he could hear.

_The skin is completely dead, but the nerves appear to be undamaged. It's a miracle he didn't lose the arm._

He'd stayed in the hospital after that. The nurses had been nice and one of the doctors would always come and talk to him. He never saw anyone from the orphanage, but he didn't expect them to visit.

Then after a month Cross had shown up. Cross had taken one look at him in his bed and tsked his tongue, turning to one of the nurses who had followed him in. _I'm taking him with me,_ Cross had said, much to Allen's (and the nurse's) surprise.

The nurse had been startled but she didn't let it sway her. She'd demanded to know who he was and he'd smiled.

_I'm the kid's guardian._

That night Cross had bundled him into his car and Allen left the hospital behind. Allen didn't speak and neither did Cross, the silence thick in the air. It was broken by a soft meow and Allen jumped when a warm weight crawled up his leg to snuggle in his lap. He'd been surprised to find a golden kitten curled there and Cross had laughed at his expression.

_That's Tim. He's a stray, just like you._

Allen had reached out hesitantly and stroked the soft fur. Allen knew the kitten was for him, he didn't know how he'd known it, he just had. He'd looked at Cross, eyes shining, and spoke for the first time since Mana's death.

_Thank you._

After that Cross had become his father figure, although he'd told Allen that if he ever called him Dad he'd be kicked out. He'd learned that Cross was friends Mana, a close friend. He traveled a lot which was why it had taken him so long to get here after Mana's death.

They'd gone to the grave together, and Allen finally cried. Cross didn't say anything, just pulled Allen against him and let him cry until there were no tears left. Then they'd said their final goodbyes and left the town.

They traveled across the globe together, Cross racking up debts and Allen finding ways to pay them off. Cross wasn't a great guardian, disappearing for weeks in strange lands and then returning drunk and even poorer than when he left. He wasn't great, but he made sure Allen always had food and a place to sleep.

It was through Cross that Allen had met Lenalee. He was sort of employed by Komui (although Allen didn't quite understand what his job was, considering Komui was a principal and Cross definitely never showed up for school). They'd met in China and Lenalee had instantly latched on to Allen. Although they'd only been together for a few short weeks they kept in touch and soon became best friends.

It was when Allen turned 14 that Cross had shipped him off to America saying something about how he needed to get a proper education. (Not that there was anything wrong with Allen's education. He'd had tutors in every country and Cross continued the lessons when they were on the road.)

Allen had gotten a small apartment not far from Lenalee and Komui's house. They'd offered to take him in, but Cross had said that Allen had to watch the place for when he returned. Allen doubted he would return any time soon but he wasn't that bothered by it, he liked being alone.

They'd gotten him enrolled in Komui's school and Lenalee had taken him shopping for his things and then it was the day that he had been dreading since Cross had thrown him on the plane back in India.

Lenalee promised him that school wasn't that bad, but Allen was used to being alone with Cross. He wasn't sure how he was going to be able to adjust to hundreds of people all crammed into one small building. She'd soothed his fears and promised to stay by his side until he adjusted, and that was the only reason he had finally managed to force himself out of bed that fateful morning.

xXx

Lenalee didn't actually get to stay by his side. She was a second year, a Sophomore, which meant that most of her classes were more advanced. Luckily Allen was smart so he was placed in the same math class as she was, and they had fifth period art together as well, but that still meant four periods without her.

His first class was English. Lenalee walked him to it and they'd stood outside as students began filtering in.

"Mr. Link is a great teacher. He's got a major sweet-tooth so sometimes he brings cakes to class and hands them out. I'll be right out here after class." She pressed her hands against his cheeks, her dark eyes boring into his. "Don't worry."

He nodded swallowed a lungful of air. "I can do this," he said. She smiled and pushed him towards the room.

"You got this."

He gave her a small wave and slid into the classroom. _Seat yourself_ was written on the board in big red letters so he scanned the desks for an empty one and found one in the back corner. He quickly claimed it and pulled out a blank notebook a pen. Lenalee had told him the first day was mainly spent sitting and listening as the teachers went over the plan for the year, but sometimes they just dove right in and Allen wanted to be prepared.

The minute the bell rang Link was in front of the class. He started talking immediately, not seeming to care that there were still students trickling in. He went over what the first semester was going to look like and handed out a list of books they were going to read. Allen skimmed the list only to realize he'd already read most of them.

Then Link had them turn to their neighbor and answer some questions. Allen's neighbor had big round glasses that hid his eyes and curly hair pulled back into a ponytail. He introduced himself as Johnny. His favorite subject was science and he had moved around a bit as a child due to his parents' jobs.

When he asked about the accent Allen told him he'd grown up in England, but he didn't want to talk about Mana so he quickly jumped into his tales of traveling the world with Cross. Johnny was fascinated and before he knew it the bell was ringing signaling the end of class. Students rushed for the door as Link told them to bring the first book on the list tomorrow.

Lenalee was waiting for him, talking to a redheaded boy. When she saw him she smiled and waved him over.

"How was your first class?" she asked. He shrugged and eyed the stranger who was grinning at him. "Oh! This is Lavi. Lavi this is the friend I was telling you about."

"She tells me ya traveled around the world with the mysterious Mr. Cross," Lavi said. "Lemme see your schedule." He yanked it out of Allen's hands and skimmed it. "Hm so we all got art together, but that's about it. Wonder if Yu's got it too…"

Lenalee snorted and Lavi handed the wrinkled paper back to Allen. "I can't imagine Kanda in an art class."

"True, it would probably conflict with his practice time."

Allen glanced between them confused and Lenalee smiled. "You'll probably meet Kanda at lunch, I don't think you'll have any classes together. He and Lavi are Juniors, third years. Kanda's on the basketball team."

Allen remembered her complaining about a Kanda multiple times during their late night phone calls, he wondered if it was the same one.

"C'mon, let's get the newbie to his next class," Lavi said, linking his arm through Allen's and pulling him down the hall. Allen stared back at Lenalee with wide eyes and she grinned, following after them.

xXx

His next class was history with Krory as his teacher. Krory was a timid man whose room was full of colorful flowers. He passed out a paper that outlined the class and let them talk amongst themselves for the majority of the class. Allen was in the back of the room again, next to a wall sized window. Allen tried to tune out the sounds of conversation around him and focus on the outside world.

Finally the bell rang, this time Allen was one of the first ones out the door and he nearly barreled into Lavi.

"That bad?" Lavi chuckled and threw an arm around Allen. They dropped him at his next class and promised to find him for lunch.

The German teacher was just as timid as Krory, maybe even more. She stuttered and fumbled, dropping her papers. One of the kids in the front of the room helped her gather her things and hand out the papers. One look at the syllabus told Allen that this class would be a breeze. The only reason he was even taking it was because the school required them to have at least two years of language. He could've easily taken French or Spanish, but he'd already gotten a pretty good grasp on those languages. He'd had difficulties with German and so he decided he'd see if the class would help him pick it up, based on the paper the first year would mainly be review for him, which was fine. The less work he had to do the better.

When the bell rang the kids rushed from the room, ignoring Ms. Lotto when she tried to remind them to check out their German books from the library. Allen felt a bit bad for her. He thought about talking to her before going to find Lenalee, but then another teacher (at least Allen thought he was a teacher, anyone that big had to be an adult) showed up and they left together.

The halls were practically empty when Allen made it out of the classroom and he felt the first stirrings of that morning's panic returning. He shoved it away and focused on finding the cafeteria. Lenalee had told him to find her there, but the minute he opened the doors he froze. There were kids everywhere.

At least half the school was crammed into the room, hundreds of students milling about. Every table was filled and the sounds of laughter and shouting echoed off the walls. He gripped his bag tight, his knuckles turning white, and tried to find his breath, but there were too many people. He felt like they were all staring at him, at his arm and his too-white hair. Someone bumped his shoulder from behind and he fell against the wall. His heart was racing and he turned out the door quickly before someone noticed him.

He searched the hall until he found a bathroom and rushed inside. He could still hear the muted sound of the cafeteria and he pressed his hands against the edge of the sink, bowing his head and taking deep breaths. His arms shook and his legs felt like jelly but he focused on breathing.

"You alright?"

He nearly jumped out of his skin and whirled to see who spoke. A boy stood just inside the door, his dark hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail and his eyes were dark, almost black. There was concern in them and Allen shook his head.

"Fine," he said. "I'm fine."

The guy shrugged and moved further into the room to one of the sinks. Allen flinched back when he reached for the soap and the guy arched an eyebrow.

"Freshman." The guy said it like it was a bad then and Allen automatically went on the defense.

"Yeah. So?"

"So you're basically shaking with fear," he rumbled, washing his hands. "You're going to be torn to shreds by the wolves."

Allen didn't know what he meant so he just crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not afraid. I'm just not used to such big crowds." The last time Allen had been surrounded by a lot of kids he'd been thrown in a fire, so it wasn't his fault he was a bit jumpy.

The guy snorted and moved to the towel dispenser. "These people won't even notice you. All they care about is what's going on in their own world; you're not even on their radar." He tossed his paper towel and paused at the door, glancing at Allen over his shoulder. "But if you act as afraid as you are then they're going to notice, and trust me, it's better to stay off the radar, bean sprout." Then he was gone. Allen stared at the door, brow furrowed in confusion.

"Bean sprout? What the heck was that about?" he muttered to himself, grabbing his bag. It was then he realized that he no longer felt so afraid. Whatever the guy had said appeared to have worked at calming him, but he wasn't sure he'd be able to face the crowd alone.

Luckily it seemed he didn't have to. Moments later the door opened and Lavi poked his head in, grinning when he saw him.

"Found you!" He grabbed Allen's arm and began pulling him back to the cafeteria. "Lenalee got worried when you didn't show up and she sent me to find you."

"Sorry."

"No need to apologize, a man's gotta go when a man's gotta go."

Allen chuckled and then they were in the cafeteria again. Something was different this time, he wasn't sure if it was Lavi at his side of the stranger's words, but Allen didn't feel like they were all watching him. He was still tense until he saw Lenalee waiting for them at a table. Allen recognized Johnny from English further down the table and the kid from German sitting across from Lenalee. Next to her was another boy with a soccer ball in his lap. He grinned when they approached and Lavi slid down next to him.

"Allen," Lenalee said in greeting, smiling at him. He smiled back and sat across from her. "This is Chaoji." She motioned at the boy next to him and he nodded his greeting. "And this ball head is Daisya."

"Do you play soccer?" Daisya asked.

"I'm not very good at it," Allen admitted and Daisya frowned.

"Damn, we need more members. Well if you ever feel like picking up a sport come to soccer."

"Daisya can't you go one day without recruiting?" Lavi said, popping a fry in his mouth.

"Our team sucks, we need all the new players we can get."

Allen tuned them out as they started talking soccer talk. He'd never been a fan of sports, at least not when they got competitive. It was plenty fun to just kick a ball around with some friends, but when everyone focused on points it got boring.

A few minutes later Lenalee was looking at her phone and frowning.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Kanda's not here yet. Normally he gets here before everyone else so he can eat and run. I wonder where he is."

"I see him," Lavi said, pointing towards the food line. "Looks like Yu forgot his lunch today and had to buy one."

A minute later there was a figure towering over Allen and Lenalee smiled.

"Ah there he is," she said as the guy sat. Allen turned to greet him only to have it die on his lips.

It was the same guy from the bathroom. He arched an eyebrow at Allen's, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Well, looks like the bean sprout conquered his fear."

Allen's eye twitched and he snarled. "The name's Allen."

"Kanda," he said, turning to his meal. "Although it doesn't really matter to me if you remember it, I doubt you'll last a month."

Allen stared at him, eye twitching, but Kanda appeared to be done with the conversation, already digging in to his food.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"


End file.
